Pallas (art college)
Pallas was the name of an art school (since 1924 ) in Estonia , by 1919 bis 1940 / 1944 in Tartu existed.
founding
Before the First World War , when Estonia was still part of the Russian Empire , Estonians had to go to Saint Petersburg or abroad if they wanted a higher art education. As a result, after gaining independence, the artistic circles in Estonia quickly agreed that the establishment of their own higher education institution had the highest priority. The Pallas artists' association , which was founded in Tartu in January 1918, was in charge here. Its chairman, Aleksander Tassa , approached the Ministry of Education in the summer of 1919, which, after some bureaucratic back and forth and the submission of a curriculum by the applicants, registered the school as a “private school of the Pallas artists' association ” in January 1921 .
Upgrade to an art college
From the beginning, Pallas made efforts to establish contacts abroad and study trips, most of which led to Berlin and especially Paris , as the French orientation of Estonian art had intensified in the 1920s. By 1924 the number of students had risen to 124 and the location of the school had been consolidated. This made it possible in 1924 to register with the Ministry as an "art college", whereby the college was not nationalized, but remained a private institution. Nevertheless, Pallas enjoyed a higher reputation through this upgrade, especially since it was the only institution of its kind in Estonia.
After the Sovietization of Estonia, the educational institution was nationalized and renamed "Konrad Mägi State Higher Art School". On January 1, 1941, 83 students were enrolled. However, after the expansion of World War II to Estonia, work had to be stopped. During the German occupation of Estonia, the university was able to briefly reopen its doors in 1942. In April 1944 it finally ended its activities in the course of the reoccupation of Estonia by Soviet troops.
Directors
- Konrad Mägi 1921, 1923–1925
- Anton Starkopf 1921–1923, 1929–1940
- Nikolai Triik 1925
- Ado Vabbe 1925-1929
- Juhan Nõmmik 1940–1942
- Arnold Matteus 1942-1944
More lecturers
- Peet Aren (1926-1930)
- Voldemar Melnik (1920–1921, 1923–1925, 1930–1935)
- Hando Mugasto (1935-1937)
- Aleksander Tassa (1925-1926)
- Jaan Vahtra (1926-1929, 1930-1933, 1935)
- Eduard Wiiralt (1924–1925)
Graduates
A total of 78 artists left the university with a diploma, among the most famous of them are:
- Aino Bach (1901–1980)
- Erik Haamer (1908-1994)
- Alfred Congo (1906–1990)
- Endel Kõks (1912–1983)
- Hando Mugasto (1907-1937)
- Juhan Nõmmik (1902–1975)
- Erich Pehap (1912–1981)
- Eduard Wiiralt (1898–1954)
literature
- Tiina Nurk: Kõrgem kunstikool Pallas 1919–1940. Täiendatud ja parandatud väljaanne. Tänapäev, [Tallinn] 2004. (294 pp. + 61 plates.)